Former MLA alleges poll code violation
CHAMBA, Aug 26 — Mr Thakur Singh Bharmouri, a former MLA of the Bharmour Tribal Assembly constituency has demanded a high-level inquiry into the violation of the model code of conduct for elections by the state Home Secretary, Mr Ajay Prashad and the DGP Mr T.R. Mahajan and other top bureaucrats of the Himachal Government.

HPCC alleges code violation
DHARAMSALA, Aug 26 — The General Secretary of the Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee, Ms Viplove Thakur, will be meeting the Chief Election Commissioner, M.S. Gill, to bring to his notice the gross violation of the code of conduct here.

UNDP’s nod to CISCO academy
HAMIRPUR, Aug 26 — The United National Development Programme, India, has accorded approval for the setting up of its CISCO academy at the local regional engineering college.

HP Cong to lodge protest with EC
SHIMLA, Aug 26 — The Congress will formally lodge a protest with the Election Commission against the "misuse" of official machinery by members of the BJP-HVC combine government in Himachal Pradesh.

Vir Chakra for Shyam Singh
SHIMLA, Aug 26 — Yet another Himachali soldier has been awarded Vir Chakra for showing exemplary bravery during the Kargil conflict.

• HP hostages: Cong to stage dharna
• Army adventure expedition
• 2 arrested for smuggling
• Tourist killed in accident
• 7 years' RI for rapist

Respect human rights, Governor
tells police
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Aug 26 — The Governor, Ms V.S. Rama Devi, has said the police should be friendly with the general public and should not indulge in the abuse of human rights.

These views were expressed by her while inaugurating a three-day course on International Humanitarian Laws and Human Rights organised by the state police and the International Committee of Red Cross, Delhi, for police officers of the state here today.

The Governor said the concept of human rights had assured international importance towards it during the past few decades and human rights were being viewed as an indicator of human development and civilisation of society. Much attention was being paid to the protection and promotion of human rights in the country, she said.

Ms Rama Devi called upon police officers and officials to be conscious about protecting and promoting rights and to ensure that they themselves do not trample human rights. She said the police should be friendly with the people and responsive towards it. She stressed on bringing about a change in the police force attitude for making it more humane and social in its approach. She laid emphasis on thorough knowledge of laws, human rights and code of conduct of law.

Expressing concern over the incidents of violation of human rights by the police, Ms Rama Devi stated that they should not overstep their jurisdiction and should adhere to the law and code of conduct prescribed for them. She said law breaking by the protectors of law was serious and damages not only the image of the police but also the faith and trust of the people. Police officers should have the objectivity and understanding of situation and should know what to do and when to do something, she said.

While stressing the role of police in social matters, she underlined the need for making the police aware about the social legislations.

The Governor laid special emphasis on bringing about professionalism in the police and infusing organisational culture. She said more attention should be paid on training and reforms which would improve the skills, efficiency and integrity. She also said the police should work in an impartial and neutral manner and should resist unwanted extraneous pressures.

She added that undertrials should not be kept along with other convicts in prisons as it was likely to pollute and contaminate their minds.

Mr T.R. Mahajan, Director-General of Police, Himachal Pradesh, highlighted the role of the police in preserving and protecting human rights.

New varieties to improve apple production
From Our Correspondent

SOLAN, Aug 26 — Parmar University has evolved a three-pronged strategy to enable the state's horticulturists to gradually phase out the prevalent monoculture practices with special emphasis on important crops like apples, nuts, and mango.

The Vice-Chancellor, Prof R.P. Awasthi, while speaking at a function organised on "State Horticulture Day" at Kotkhai in Shimla District yesterday, said his scientists would soon start multiplying "106 MM Root Stock" of apple, which had been found to be ideal for raising high density plantations in the state.

The growers would be advised to reduce the area under 'delicious' varieties yielded irregular crops causing huge losses to growers every second or third year. The university would soon come out with a package of practices concerning two apple varieties of US origin — "the Scarlet Gala and Red Fuji". Both of these had been thoroughly tested and found ideally suited to local conditions. Their yield, also, was substantially more than the existing varieties.

With a view to promote diversification the university would soon establish budwood orchards of nut crops like those of walnut, pecan nut, hazel nut and pistachio. The plant material for these orchards was being imported.

Prof Awasthi said his institution would organise a walnut day at Sharbo in Kinnaur district in October.

Dr Jagmohan Singh, Director Horticulture, Himachal Pradesh, underscored the need to keep the state's horticulture in good economic health and said over 4.5 lakh families in the state were presently dependent upon fruit crops for their livelihood.

Dr O.P. Sharma, Director Extension, Dr K.K. Jindal, Director Research, of the university also spoke on the occasion.

Village bodies protecting herbs
From Subhash Sharma

KULU: The Himalayas are the abode of rich medicinal herbs and over 150 species of medicinal values are found in this region. Most of these are used in making life-saving drugs.

The forests of this district are endowed with medicinal plants and herbs. The herbs that are exported from here (local names given in brackets) are: Aconitum chesuanthus (karvi patish); Ainaliaen aptra (sathjalari); Picorhiza kuroo (karoo); Jurnia macrocephala (dhoop); Podoplyllum emodi (bankakri); Angalica glauca (chora); Viola odorata (banafsha); Valeriana wellichil (mushakbala); Dioscoria deltodia (shingli-mingli); Morchela esculenta (guchchis) and about 40 other species.

The local people have the right to collect herbs from forests and sell these in the market. However, the Forest Department has chalked out a programme for every forest division by closing the Ranges so that forest wealth could be saved. Only one Range is kept open for right-holders every year. The department has also imposed a heavy permit fee on the movement of minor forest produce. The herbs are allowed to be despatched outside the state only after royalty is paid to the panchayat from where the herbs are collected.

According the national forest policy, the department is committed to fulfil the requirement of minor forest produce and creating institutional arrangements for marketing and making area development programmes, says Mr P L Chauhan, Seraj Divisional Forest Officer (DFO).

Research and studies by the G.B. Pant Institute of Himalayan Environment and Development here have revealed that the interlinking of natural and social sciences to promote sustainable development of the Himalayas, preserving the fragile eco-system, promoting indigenous knowledge and customs, are in complete harmony with the views of the residents.

Joining hands with the institute, the department has also introduced joint forest management through which the local people, NGOs and panchayat representatives have been involved in saving forest wealth. Such bodies are known as village forest development committees (VFDCs).

The DFO said in his division, the VFDCs were involved in the protection and propagation of medicinal herbs. Since 1995 medicinal species much as shingli mingli, mushakbala, birmi, sathjalari, chora, dori, ritha etc. have been introduced on about 150 hectares of forest area as enrichment plantation. Some of these species are also being propagated in nurseries, he added.

The DFO stated that a detailed study of Dioscoria (shingli mingli) propagation had been completed by him. The diosgene taken out of this herb was used to produce cartizones and harmones, used in more than 190 life-saving drugs. Experiments of its propagation in Karnataka and Kerala as well as in the USA were not found promising. But Mr Chauhan claimed that a certain herb raised on wasteland here could produce about 150 quintals of Dioscoria tubers per hectare after three years, generating an annual income of about Rs 5 lakh. The national requirement of Dioscoria is estimated at 150 tonnes annually, whereas the country's total yield is about 60 tonnes.

The DFO said there was urgent need for large-scale propagation of the medicinal herb and setting up of an extraction plant. This would be in the national interest besides boosting the economic well-being of the hill people.

The need of the day was to develop and execute short and long- term training courses on natural resources conservation and management, environmental impact, nursery development and biotechnology.

The G.B. Pant Institute of Himalayan Environment and Development here has taken the initiative in organising seminars, workshops, camps and awareness programmes on special themes relating to hill environment and development.

SFI’s memo to Governor
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Aug 26 — Himachal Pradesh University campus remained peaceful today.

Activists of the Students Federation of India held a rally and submitted a memorandum to Mrs V.S. Rama Devi, Himachal Governor, urging her to intervene and direct the university authorities to restore the democratic rights of the students by holding immediate elections to the Students Central Association.

The federation also demanded action against police officers responsible for the unprovoked lathi charge on students.

It demanded a judicial inquiry into the circumstances which forced Mr Harpal Singh, a student of the Indira Gandhi Medical College to commit suicide. The incident had brought into focus the lacunae in the examination system which made students vulnerable to exploitation by unscrupulous teachers.

Meanwhile, the ABVP and the NSUI have disassociated from the joint front formed to press the demand for elections to the Central Students Association following differences with the SFI over the mode of agitation to be adopted. A spokesman of the government college for boys unit, of the ABVP said that the parishad was not in favour of the ‘education bandh’ as it harmed the interests of the common student. It wanted to press the authorities to hold election by using other methods.

Former MLA alleges poll code violation
From Our Correspondent

CHAMBA, Aug 26 — Mr Thakur Singh Bharmouri, a former MLA of the Bharmour Tribal Assembly constituency and Chairman, Himachal Pradesh Scheduled Castes and Tribes Cell has demanded a high-level inquiry into the violation of the model code of conduct for elections by the state Home Secretary, Mr Ajay Prashad and the DGP Mr T.R. Mahajan and other top bureaucrats of the Himachal Government who brought along with them Mr Tulsi Ram, BJP's sitting MLA, to the Pangi valley of the Bharmour constituency in a helicopter on August 4 when these bureaucrats were going on a ‘secret’ mission to take stock of the prevailing disturbed conditions in the border areas of the Pangi valley adjoining Jammu and Kashmir.

In a telegraphic message to the President of India and the Chief Election Commissioner, Mr Thakur Singh alleged that during the visit BJP MLA Tulsi Ram expressed his sympathies with the tribesmen and assured them full cooperation on behalf of the ruling government thereby taking political advantage in view of the Lok Sabha elections which was a sheer violation of the code.

Later distributing copies of these messages to the Press, Mr Thakur Singh wanted the BJP candidate to be debarred four contesting elections from the Mandi parliamentary constituency in which Pangi tribal area falls.

HPCC alleges code violation
Tribune News Service

DHARAMSALA, Aug 26 — The General Secretary of the Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee, (HPCC) Ms Viplove Thakur, will be meeting the Chief Election Commissioner, M.S. Gill, to bring to his notice the gross violation of the code of conduct here.

Disclosing this today, Ms Thakur, and Ms Asha Kumari, a sitting MLA from Banikhet, said a delegation would also be meeting the state election officer to lodge a protest against the misuse of official machinery by BJP ministers and legislators. They alleged that some of the ministers and chairmen of boards and corporations could be seen using their official vehicles in their constituencies.

They said an MLA from Chamba district, want in an official helicopter to the border areas, to see the security arrangements against militants. "His addressing a public meeting during the trip is proof enough that the BJP leaders are misusing the government machinery for election purposes", they said.

UNDP’s nod to CISCO academy
From Our Correspondent

HAMIRPUR, Aug 26 — The United National Development Programme (UNDP), India, has accorded approval for the setting up of its CISCO academy at the local regional engineering college. This was stated here today by Mr Lalit Kumar, Head, Computer Science and Engineering Department, Regional Engineering College, here.

He said only two centres had been selected by the UNDP for the programme in northern India. These centres were Regional Engineering College, Hamirpur and Shaheed Bhagat Singh Engineering College, Ferozepore. Under this programme, two members of the REC, Hamirpur, would go to Singapore for two weeks' training with the CISCO.

He said through the CISCO-sponsored programmes, students of both institutions could learn the course needed to prepare them for CISCO networking examinations.

HP Cong to lodge protest with EC
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Aug 26 — The Congress will formally lodge a protest with the Election Commission against the "misuse" of official machinery by members of the BJP-HVC combine government in Himachal Pradesh.

This was announced by the President of the Congress Seva Dal, Mr Satya Prakash Thakur, and the Secretary of the PCC, Mr Vineet Gautam, at a press conference here today.

They said a delegation of Congress leaders would meet the Chief Election Commissioner, Dr M.S. Gill, in Delhi and the Chief Electoral Officer, Mr Bhim Sein in this regard.

They alleged that certain ministers were flouting orders of the Election Commission by using their official vehicles for electioneering. Some ministers unfurled the National Flag in their respective districts in violation of the directions of the commission.

Vir Chakra for Shyam Singh
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Aug 26 — Yet another Himachali soldier has been awarded Vir Chakra for showing exemplary bravery during the Kargil conflict.

A communication from the Ministry of Defence received here on Tuesday informed the state that rifleman Shyam Singh of Kalara village in Chopal tehsil had been awarded Vir Chakra posthumously. With this, the number of Vir Chakra awardees in the state had gone up to six.

Shyam Singh played a major role in capturing a vital peak in Dras sector. He managed to reach the peak on July 5 where he came under enemy fire and died.

Mr Ram Subhag Singh, the Deputy Commissioner and Mr O.C. Thakur, the SP, visited Kalara village yesterday and personally informed the parents that their brave soldier son had been awarded Vir Chakra posthumously.

Mr Nand Ram, father of Shyam Singh, told the Deputy Commissioner that he would construct two rooms in the local Government School in the memory of his son.

The government has already provided job to a brother of Shyam Singh and he has been posted in his home subdivision.

HP hostages: Cong to stage dharna
From Our Correspondent

CHAMBA, Aug 26 — The Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC) will stage a dharna in front of the SDM's office at Bhanjraru, the headquarters of Churah subdivision, on August 30 in protest against the failure of the state BJP led coalition government to trace the six Himachalis kept as hostages by Pakistan militants during the Kalaban-Satrundi massacre last year.

Addressing mediapersons here today, Mr Sat Mahajan, President of the HPCC, announced that a group of Congressmen would sit on a day-long dharna.

He also criticised the state government for not providing details of the MoU of the 300 MW Chamera Hydel Project (stage-II) near here, adding that the government and the Chamera management had appointed about 45 engineers from outside the state.

2 arrested for smuggling
From Our Correspondent

UNA, Aug 26 — Una police arrested Ismil Mohamad and seized a truck carrying 111 tins of resin at Mehatpur today. He was trying to smuggle it into Punjab. A case under Section 41 and 42, Forest Act, has been registered.

In another case Gagret police seized a tractor-trailer carrying 20 big logs of shesham near Deoli village in Doeli Khud today. The driver has reportedly absconded. A case under the Forest Act has been registered.

Army adventure expedition
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Aug 26 — The 36 Sector of the Army is organising "Sainya sahas", an adventure expedition, which will be flagged off from Chhitkul on September 7.

According to Brigadier S.K. Dovel, Commander, 36 Sector, the expedition comprising two officers, four junior commissioned officers and 15 other ranks will cover 255 km in the most treacherous terrain of the Himalayan ranges. It will cover the hills ranging between 18,000 feet and 20,000 feet and passes en route Ranikhanda, Khanidunti, Lemkhaga, Harsil, Joshimath, Uttarkashi and Dehra Dun.

He said the members of the expedition will undergo acclimatisation at Khabo from August 26.

Tourist killed in accident
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Aug 26 — A Bengali tourist, Sandhya Sarkar, was killed and 17 others injured when a mini-bus in which they were travelling in the tribal area of Pooh met with an accident yesterday.

Official reports said a private mini-bus carrying 16 persons, including 12 Bengali tourists, met with an accident near Tinku Nullah in Pooh subdivision.

The injured have been shifted to the primary health centre at Pooh.

Mr Parshant Gupta, Mr Sukumar Dass and Ms Archana Gupta have been shifted to District Hospital at Reckong-Peo.

7 years' RI for rapist
From Our Correspondent

HAMIRPUR, Aug 26 — Mr Om Parkash Sharma, Sessions Judge, Hamirpur yesterday, sentenced Devinder Kumar, alias Pinku of Sahlwin village to undergo seven years rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs 5,000 for raping and intimidating a married woman of the area on October 12, 1998. In case of failure to deposit the fine the accused will have to undergo imprisonment for one more year.
The Judge also ordered that Rs 4,000 would be given to the victim.